almost overpowering.
Almost. His excitement and need to be with his little girl helped him
rein it in until he could talk to Mesa without losing control. For Raale,
he could do this.
Her stomach tightened into
knots as he opened the door and walked in. It took him a full minute to
gather his thoughts, but when he looked at her, her heart sank. The
coldness in his eyes made her feel like she’d been suddenly dunked in a barrel
of ice water. He’d never forgive her for what she had done. He must
hate her!
“I want to take Raale to meet
Uci.” It was a simple enough statement to make and if she wanted to fight
about it, he was cocked and ready.
“I’m not sure she’s ready for
that. The two of you have just met. She might
be…uncomfortable.” She really didn’t want to refuse him, but she had to
consider Raale first.
He swore softly. “We
talked about it, Mesa. I wouldn’t try to take her anywhere if I thought
she’d be afraid but if it’ll make you feel better, you can come, too.”
She looked around.
“We’ve just arrived. We haven’t even unpacked.”
He shrugged. That
didn’t concern him. Then he had an inspiration. “You can work on
that while I have her with me. You won’t need to worry about entertainin’
her. I’ll do it.”
“Rafe, she’s…,” she started
hedging.
“She’s my child, Mesa!” he
growled. “Don’t make me fight you for her because I’ve already lost the
first years of her life! I won’t lose anymore.” He glared at her,
his eyes smoldering with anger and challenge.
She sensed a warning in his
words. “Is that a threat?”
“You take it however the hell
you wanna take it. I don’t give a damn. But I intend to be her
father from this day forward. If you thought you’d have a problem with
that, then you should have stayed the hell in Branson, Missouri and continued
to keep her a secret from me!” Rafe struggled to keep his voice on an
even keel. He knew a shouting match would upset Raale and he didn’t want
that.
Mesa turned and walked over
to the door and called Raale.
Looking up expectantly, the
child ran to the door. She looked past her mother at her father’s face
and easily recognized the trace of anger she saw there. She looked back
at her mom, her dark brows drawing down into a frown. “Did you say no?”
Mesa shook her head. “I
just want to make sure you’re alright with this. Do you want to go?”
Raale nodded. “He’s
gonna takes me to meet Uci and my cousins and to ride a horsy with me.
Isn’t that alright?”
Mesa turned to look at
Rafe. “Ride a horse?”
“With me,” he
clarified. “There’s a ropin’ at Jenny and Russ’s place. I was over
there when I got the call to come here.” When he sensed her beginning
objections, he lifted his hands to stop it and managed to keep his voice
civil. “I won’t rope anymore today. I’ll keep Raale with me the
whole time and I’ll bring her home before dark.”
Mesa looked back at her child
whose small face was beaming with hope. “Please, Mom. I’ll be extry
special good. I won’t ask too many questions or talk to strangers and
I’ll use my bestest, bestest manners. I promise.”
Mesa sighed in defeat.
“Let’s go find you some jeans to put on. These slacks you’re wearing
would get ruined.” She refused to look at Rafe, but if she had, she’d
have recognized the excitement in his eyes.
They had to move the car-seat
from the back of Mesa’s SUV in to the passenger side of Rafe’s pick-up.
Mesa closely supervised to make sure it was properly positioned, even after
Rafe assured her that the entire Sheriff’s Department Staff had received
special training to make sure they knew when a child’s safety seat was properly
secured.
Jory stood silently beside
Mesa as they watched the truck travel down the dirt driveway away from
them. “She’ll be fine. You know he’d die
Almost. His excitement and need to be with his little girl helped him
rein it in until he could talk to Mesa without losing control. For Raale,
he could do this.
Her stomach tightened into
knots as he opened the door and walked in. It took him a full minute to
gather his thoughts, but when he looked at her, her heart sank. The
coldness in his eyes made her feel like she’d been suddenly dunked in a barrel
of ice water. He’d never forgive her for what she had done. He must
hate her!
“I want to take Raale to meet
Uci.” It was a simple enough statement to make and if she wanted to fight
about it, he was cocked and ready.
“I’m not sure she’s ready for
that. The two of you have just met. She might
be…uncomfortable.” She really didn’t want to refuse him, but she had to
consider Raale first.
He swore softly. “We
talked about it, Mesa. I wouldn’t try to take her anywhere if I thought
she’d be afraid but if it’ll make you feel better, you can come, too.”
She looked around.
“We’ve just arrived. We haven’t even unpacked.”
He shrugged. That
didn’t concern him. Then he had an inspiration. “You can work on
that while I have her with me. You won’t need to worry about entertainin’
her. I’ll do it.”
“Rafe, she’s…,” she started
hedging.
“She’s my child, Mesa!” he
growled. “Don’t make me fight you for her because I’ve already lost the
first years of her life! I won’t lose anymore.” He glared at her,
his eyes smoldering with anger and challenge.
She sensed a warning in his
words. “Is that a threat?”
“You take it however the hell
you wanna take it. I don’t give a damn. But I intend to be her
father from this day forward. If you thought you’d have a problem with
that, then you should have stayed the hell in Branson, Missouri and continued
to keep her a secret from me!” Rafe struggled to keep his voice on an
even keel. He knew a shouting match would upset Raale and he didn’t want
that.
Mesa turned and walked over
to the door and called Raale.
Looking up expectantly, the
child ran to the door. She looked past her mother at her father’s face
and easily recognized the trace of anger she saw there. She looked back
at her mom, her dark brows drawing down into a frown. “Did you say no?”
Mesa shook her head. “I
just want to make sure you’re alright with this. Do you want to go?”
Raale nodded. “He’s
gonna takes me to meet Uci and my cousins and to ride a horsy with me.
Isn’t that alright?”
Mesa turned to look at
Rafe. “Ride a horse?”
“With me,” he
clarified. “There’s a ropin’ at Jenny and Russ’s place. I was over
there when I got the call to come here.” When he sensed her beginning
objections, he lifted his hands to stop it and managed to keep his voice
civil. “I won’t rope anymore today. I’ll keep Raale with me the
whole time and I’ll bring her home before dark.”
Mesa looked back at her child
whose small face was beaming with hope. “Please, Mom. I’ll be extry
special good. I won’t ask too many questions or talk to strangers and
I’ll use my bestest, bestest manners. I promise.”
Mesa sighed in defeat.
“Let’s go find you some jeans to put on. These slacks you’re wearing
would get ruined.” She refused to look at Rafe, but if she had, she’d
have recognized the excitement in his eyes.
They had to move the car-seat
from the back of Mesa’s SUV in to the passenger side of Rafe’s pick-up.
Mesa closely supervised to make sure it was properly positioned, even after
Rafe assured her that the entire Sheriff’s Department Staff had received
special training to make sure they knew when a child’s safety seat was properly
secured.
Jory stood silently beside
Mesa as they watched the truck travel down the dirt driveway away from
them. “She’ll be fine. You know he’d die